Document 6433718

s t u d e n t a f f a i r s . s t a n f o r d . e d u / c d c | C A R E E R D E V E L O P M E N T C E N T E R 4 7
E va luat i ng
Job Search Endgame
As a PhD or postdoc, you’ve invested
considerable time and effort in your
education and job search, and now it is
about to pay off. It is an exciting time, but
potentially confusing and stressful. We offer
these brief guidelines to address common
concerns related to anticipating, weighing,
accepting and/or negotiating job offer(s).
Receiving the Offer
Thank the person extending the offer
and express enthusiasm for the position.
Reiterate how important this decision is for
you and ask for some time to think it over
in order to make a good decision. If it is a
verbal offer, ask about getting the offer in
writing so there are no misunderstandings.
Ask when your response is expected.
An offer letter, at minimum, states your
job title, salary, expected start date and
your department or supervisor’s name. It
may further enumerate your benefits and/or
briefly describe your responsibilities.
Managing Multiple Employers
You have a job offer in hand. Or you may
sense an offer is imminent; sometimes an
employer will tell you outright, “We plan
to make you an offer.” This is a great time
to reconnect with any other prospective
employers that are still considering you
as a candidate or finalist. Contact those
employers to inquire about the status of
your application and their timeframes for
and
N eg ot i at i ng J ob O f f e r s
making a decision. Reiterate your enthusiasm for the position, alert them that
another offer is in hand or seems imminent,
and ask about the possibility of them accelerating their hiring process.
First, Evaluate the Big Picture
Ask yourself the following questions about
the position(s) you are considering. It may
be helpful to compile your answers in a
spreadsheet or similar document. If these
factors are not a good fit, it will be difficult
or impossible to rectify them through
negotiation. Think carefully whether you
want to accept or decline the offer.
Revisit Your Values and
Preferences
What do you find important and fulfilling
about your work? What are your values
and priorities? How do you prefer to work?
What work environments do you prefer?
And finally: How well aligned is your
job offer with your goals, values and
preferences?
Assess the Organization and
Industry
Research the financial stability, growth, and
trends of the industry and organization.
What growth or trends are happening in the
industry?
How financially stable is the company? Has
it had significant layoffs recently?
If a startup, is it well funded? Is it likely to
meet milestones to secure future funding?
Will you have appropriate resources and/or
budget to support your work?
What are the opportunities and expectations about publishing your work?
Is there a budget for conferences, travel
and/or professional development?
Helpful resources:
• The Vault/Career Insider at studentaffairs.stanford.edu/cdc/services/
career-library offers informative industry
overviews
• Google Finance has profiles and news
feeds for most businesses
If you have questions, address them with
the organization contact before accepting
the offer.
Review Your Role and
Responsibilities
Review the responsibilities and daily activities of the position. Consider additional
information you gathered while going
through the interview process. Does this
position seem interesting and engaging?
How does it fit with your long-term goals?
Evaluate the Offer
Ultimately, you will accept, reject, or try
to negotiate changes to the offer. After
determining the industry, organization
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and position are a good “fit,” evaluate the
details of your job offer.
The Overall Compensation
Package
• laptop computer and/or technical
equipment
Salary and Market Value
Salary is only one part of a total compensation package. Your package might include
any of the following:
• flexible work schedule
Salary doesn’t necessarily correlate with the
value you add or the contribution you make
to society. It’s what the market will bear to
purchase your services, which include your
skills, expertise, knowledge, and special
talents. Check studentaffairs.stanford.edu/
cdc/jobs/salary, your professional society
or the NACE Quarterly Starting Salaries
Survey in the CDC Career Resource Library
to determine a range for your market value.
Often recent graduates don’t have the
experience or expertise to warrant a higher
salary. However, exceptions that may
justify a higher salary include:
• Proven expertise in a specific and soughtafter area
• Relevant work experience through
previous industry experience, internships,
or summer jobs
• A written offer for a higher salary from
another organization
• base salary
• signing bonus and/or relocation expenses
• medical, dental, and vision insurance
• life insurance, accidental death insurance
and disability benefits
• 401(k) or other retirement plans (and
perhaps matching contributions from the
employer)
• pretax contributions for child or elder
care
• bonuses based on performance and/or
profit sharing
• stock; discounted stock purchase plans
and/or stock options
• paid sick leave, holidays and vacation
time and/or sabbaticals
• reimbursement for future education
• extras such as commuting allowance,
parking subsidy, health club membership,
etc.
Ask your HR representative to explain
the benefits package before you make a
decision.
Some organizations offer a fixed package
that is not negotiable; other organizations
may be willing to negotiate on salary,
bonuses, stock options, date of salary
review, relocation costs, or extras.
Though many people focus on the base
salary, these other items may significantly
impact your income and/or quality of life,
both now and in the future. One position
may offer free meals and a higher salary in
San Francisco, an expensive city. Another
may offer a lower salary but match
contributions to your retirement plan in a
different city with a lower cost of living and
less expensive housing. You will need to
conduct a cost/benefit analysis to determine
which is better for you.
Preparing to Negot iate
Do You Want or Need to
Negotiate?
The only reason to negotiate is to get fair
market value for your skills, experience
and knowledge. You are not obligated to
negotiate; do not negotiate for negotiation’s sake. Some job seekers believe they
are expected to negotiate, or that salaries
should be negotiated as a general principle.
Although organizations respect employees
who can articulate the value they add,
recent grads (or anyone else) can quickly
alienate potential employers if they are
inappropriate or go overboard in negotiating to “get a fair deal.”
Organizations, large and small, generally
establish salary ranges for each position
based on standards and general practices
for the field. Organizations determine
where an employee falls within the salary
range based on experience and special
expertise or knowledge. Recent graduates,
with limited experience in entry-level
positions, generally will be paid in the
low- to mid-range, reserving the midpoint
salaries for more experienced individuals.
It’s in the organization’s best interest to
compensate you fairly. Organizations
want to hire and retain good employees.
Hiring and training new workers is costly.
Organizations do not want to make low
offers that are rejected and then have
to repeat the recruiting process. Nor do
they want you to leave to work for other
employers—potentially competitors—that
offer better compensation.
have specific ideas about how you will
add value. You will be able to confidently
state that you are worth $5k more because
of your ability to create specific software,
design the new manual, or write the
necessary grant proposal.
• You have decided that the overall opportunity is a good fit.
• The offer does not reflect the fairmarket worth of your services in this
field. Research salary ranges for your
role and industry. These facts will help
you determine if the compensation is
reasonable, and support your argument for
a higher salary. You’ll be more persuasive
if your negotiation is based on verifiable
evidence. Familiarize yourself with the
entire package before initiating negotiations; employers who can’t offer a higher
salary may instead offer “perks” such as
extra vacation days or free parking.
• You understand how your skills benefit
the organization. This may be difficult to
assess with limited work experience. In
this case, try to identify the needs of each
person who interviewed you. How are you
a solution to their problems/challenges?
Then, when you’re negotiating, you will
• You are clear about what you want and
what you need. What aspects of the
job offer are essential for you, affecting
the tipping point of whether or not
you accept or decline the offer? What
aspects are sweeteners, but won’t change
your decision? Where are you willing to
When Should You Negotiate?
• After you have received a formal offer,
preferably in writing. Having detailed
discussions about compensation before
this point could eliminate you prematurely from consideration.
s t u d e n t a f f a i r s . s t a n f o r d . e d u / c d c | C A R E E R D E V E L O P M E N T C E N T E R 4 9
compromise? What is your “walk away”
point—the barest minimum you need
for the offer to be acceptable? Envision
your ideal (yet realistic) outcome from
the negotiation. At the same time, identify
several backup options that are acceptable
should your first request be denied.
• You know your alternatives in case
negotiations fail to produce the changes
you seek. If your negotiations produce all
the changes you requested, you should
be prepared to accept the amended offer.
If your negotiations produce some of
the changes you requested, you’ll have
to decide whether it adequately satisfies
your needs and exceeds your threshold
for accepting the position. If negotiations
fail to produce changes that will make
the position acceptable, you will probably
decline the offer—but talk to a career
counselor or someone you trust before
you do. It is important to clearly assess
your alternatives. If negotiations fail,
what is your next Best Alternative to a
Negotiated Agreement (BATNA)? Do you
have other offers? Will you hold out for
another employer to make an offer? Can
you sustain your current employment (or
unemployment) situation?
Negot iat ing
Negotiation is a process for reaching an
agreement on what an organization will pay
for your skills, knowledge and expertise.
Your success in negotiating for higher
compensation (and the only reason you
should be negotiating) depends on evidence
suggesting your market value is higher
than that reflected in the offer. Contrary
to popular belief, this is not an adversarial
process. It is in your best interest and
the organization’s to come to a mutually
beneficial agreement. Adopt a Win-Win or
No Deal mentality.
You will usually negotiate with your
Human Resources representative, but
sometimes the negotiation is conducted
directly with your manager. If you are
unsure, you can ask.
What to Say and Do During a
Negotiation
Ask the employer to explain how compensation is determined, and then listen. Ask
how your distinguishing and exceptional
strengths and expertise were accounted for.
State clearly and succinctly the evidence
suggesting your compensation should be
higher, and then listen.
Here is a sample script for the negotiation
process:
Student: “I want to say again how
extremely pleased I am to have
the opportunity to work with you
and this organization. However,
I would like to discuss the
compensation.”
If the salary is not negotiable, suggest the
next option from your backup plan (such
as a higher signing bonus, if applicable, or
early performance review,) then move on
to any other part of the job offer that you
would like to negotiate.
HR Rep: “
Sure. What questions do you
have?”
For further help with negotiation, consult
Perfect Phrases for Negotiating Salary and
Job Offers by Matthew J. DeLuca and
Nanette F. DeLuca in the CDC Resource
Library.
Student: “First, I’d like to know how your
organization structures salary
ranges to understand how this
salary was determined. I want this
to work for both of us.”
Listen to the response.
Student: “What flexibility is there with the
starting salary?”
Listen to the response.
Student: “I understand the organization
prefers to bring inexperienced
graduates in at the lower end
of the range for this position.
However, I feel this offer does
not reflect the experience and
perspective I gained from working
in this industry prior to starting
my PhD.” (If you have other hard
salary data from your research,
diplomatically mention it here.)
Negotiating Other Elements
Salary is important, but other elements of
the job offer may be important to you as
well. Some of these items will be negotiable;
others not. Perhaps you have already
committed to a much-needed vacation after
you complete your dissertation. Adjusting
your start date or arranging for extra time
off could be very important to you. Things
that mean a lot to you may incur little or
no cost for the employer. For example, if
reducing a long, stressful commute improves
your quality of life, ask about telecommuting
(working from home) for one day a week.
Negotiate creatively, but always in good
faith and with a Win-Win attitude.
Accept ing and Reject ing Of fers
If you and the company have come to a
mutually satisfying agreement, ask for
something in writing that reflects your
mutual understanding. If negotiation
produces changes to the original offer, ask
for an amended offer letter so all parties
are clear about the revised offer. To accept
the offer, sign and return the (amended)
offer letter by the agreed-upon deadline.
We recommend including a short job
acceptance letter as well (see the sample in
this section, as well as others in the CDC
Career Resource Library). You will likely
phone or email your contact to enthusiastically accept the offer, and inform the
employer that the signed document is on
the way.
If negotiation failed to produce a mutually
satisfactory agreement, you must make
your decision based on the employer’s final
offer. In this case, you would generally
phone your contact to express gratitude for
the consideration and offer, but to politely
decline the offer. Follow up this call with a
formal written letter or email that declines
the offer in a clear, polite and professional
manner (see samples in this section).
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Et hics and Et iquet te
Candidates and employers have a joint
responsibility when accepting or extending
a job offer. The CDC expects recruiters
will abide by its policies and by the ethical
standards of the National Association of
Colleges and Employers. These guidelines
include the statement that employers “will
refrain from any practice that improperly
influences and affects job acceptances . . .
including undue time pressure for acceptance of employment offers.”
The CDC expects students to observe
similar ethical practices, including the
following code of conduct:
• Once you accept an offer, you have made
a commitment to that employer and it is
your ethical responsibility to discontinue
interviewing with other employers. After
you accept an offer, you are no longer
eligible to interview through the CDC’s
Cardinal Recruiting Program.
• If you accept an offer, and later a better
offer comes along, remember that
you have made a significant personal
and professional commitment to the
first employer; you should honor that
commitment. Reneging on a job offer is
highly unprofessional. If you are unsure
about accepting a job offer, it is always
better to negotiate for more time to
make your decision than to accept the
offer prematurely and later rescind your
acceptance.
Consider the reverse situation:
An employer offers you a job and later
a stronger candidate comes along. How
would you feel if the employer called you to
withdraw its original offer to you? Clearly
that would be unacceptable. The recruiting
and hiring process works best when all
parties adhere to ethical and behavior.
(In rare cases, a candidate who has already
accepted an offer may find him- or herself
in an unusual position with extenuating
circumstances, such as a family emergency;
CDC career counselors are available to
meet with you one on one to discuss your
situation.)
Frequent ly Asked Quest ions
Q: W hat do I say if I’m asked for my
salary requirements before I have
received a formal offer?
Q: How committed am I to a job
offer I have accepted, if a better
offer comes along?
Q: W hat if I don’t understand
something in the employment
offer letter?
A: You’ll generally defer discussing your
specific requirements until a formal
offer has been made. Early in the
interview process, you may reply, “If
it’s okay with you, I’d like to defer that
question for now and focus first on the
content of the work. I’m interested in
knowing more about the specific duties
and responsibilities of the job.” If the
hiring manager insists, you might say
something like, “I assume a range has
been established for this position and
wonder what the organization has in
mind?” or “A salary competitive for this
position and industry.”
A: First, if you are unsure about accepting
a job offer, it is better to negotiate
for more time to make your decision
than to accept the offer prematurely
and later rescind your acceptance.
Second, it is very important to honor
your commitment. Backing out of the
agreement is highly unprofessional and
reflects negatively on you and Stanford.
It may taint your reputation in your
chosen field now and in the future. If
you signed a contract that included a
signing bonus, check the contract for a
clause requiring you to pay back the full
signing bonus if you leave the organization before the stated duration. The
signing bonus amount that you receive
will be the total amount, minus taxes,
but the amount you must repay will be
the full amount of the bonus.
A: Organizations are usually happy to
clarify or answer any questions about
the job offer. Students may also seek
legal advice regarding job offers,
employment contracts and other professional commitments through the ASSU
Legal Counseling Office for Students at
(650) 375-2481.
Later in the interviewing process, as a
finalist, you may need to provide an
actual range (not a single number) for
your desired salary. You might say,
“Based on [objective salary survey], I
believe [$ range] is the fair market range
for this position.” Make sure you have
done your homework!
Q: W hat do I do if all my requests
are rejected in the negotiation
process?
A: You must decide to accept or reject
the position based on the terms of the
original offer.
Q: How do I request an offer in
writing?
A: If a verbal offer is made, you can say,
“I’m very excited about the opportunity
to work with you and this organization.
Since this is such a significant decision
for both of us, I’d be more comfortable
if the offer was in writing and I could
look it over.”
Helpful Resources
The CDC has compiled a handful of salary
websites at studentaffairs.stanford.edu/cdc/
job/salary.
The CDC Career Resource Library contains
helpful information for job offers and
negotiation, including:
• Negotiating Your Salary: How to Make
$1000 a Minute by Jack Chapman
(If you have time for only one book, this
is the recommended one.)
• Next-Day Salary Negotiation: Prepare
Tonight to Get Your Best Pay Tomorrow
by Maryanne Wegerbauer
• Ask For It: How Women Can Use the
Power of Negotiation . . . by Linda
Babcock and Sara Laschever
We recognize that juggling job offers and
employer deadlines can be daunting for
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you. Since each individual’s situation is
unique, we encourage PhDs and postdocs
who have questions about managing
offers or negotiating for time or additional
compensation to meet with one of the
career counselors at the CDC. For urgent
matters, we offer short 15-minute meetings
daily—no appointment necessary. Longer
45-minute appointments may be scheduled
in advance through your Cardinal Careers
account.
Contact ASSU Legal Counseling at (650)
375-2481 for legal advice regarding job
offers, employment contracts and other
professional commitments
Sample Job Of fer Communicat ions
Dear Ms. Gonzalez,
Thank you for offering me the position of
Research Scientist with XYZ, Inc. However, I
regret to inform you that I cannot accept your
generous offer at this time. After carefully
evaluating all opportunities available to me, I have
accepted another position that seems a better fit
for me at this point in my career.
Declining a Job Offer
I truly enjoyed meeting and speaking with
you and other representatives from XYZ.
Thank you again for your consideration.
Best wishes for the continued success of
XYZ, Inc.
Sincerely,
Nick Gupta
Dear Madeleine,
I hope this email finds you well.
I am writing to inform you that I will unfortunately not
be accepting the generous offer of Assistant Director
at ABC. I really appreciate the care and hospitality
extended to me during this time. Foremost, I am
grateful that ABC granted me an extension so that I
could fully consider my options.
At this time, I feel that ABC is not the best fit for me.
It was an extremely tough decision for me to make, as
evident in my request for an extension. I again want
to thank you and everyone else at ABC for this great
opportunity and for your help and support through this
process.
Sincerely,
Mara
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Sample Job Of fer Communicat ions
Withdrawing Your Candidacy
Dear Mr. Polanco,
I enjoyed meeting with you and your colleagues last
week regarding the position of Project Manager.
Thank you for your time and consideration during
this process.
While I am not sure where the hiring process
stands, I wish to inform you that I must withdraw
my application from consideration for this position.
I have accepted a similar position at another
organization.
Thank you again for your consideration and best of
luck in completing your search.
Sincerely,
Anna Udell
Accepting an Offer
Dear Ms. Fuqua,
Dear Ajit,
It is with great excitement that I accept the
offer for the position of Senior Analyst. I
have included the signed offer letter as you
requested.
Thank you for your employment offer for
the position of Program Coordinator. I
would like to reconfirm my acceptance of
this position. As I mentioned earlier, I look
forward to joining ZZZ and am confident
in the contributions I will make to your
organization. I am truly excited to apply my
passion and skills to this position.
I have been communicating with the
relocation company and am currently in the
process of moving to Seattle. I expect to be
settled in by the end of the month and ready
to start in early August.
I will contact you as my start date
approaches. Please feel free to contact me
if you have any questions. I look forward to
my new position at LMN.
Per our phone conversation, I will start work
on Monday, August 22. I will be out of town
until mid-July but can be reached by cell
phone at (650) 123-4567.
Thank you again for this opportunity.
Sincerely,
Sincerely,
Sarah Gold
John